


you look good in green

by toxica939



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-12-05 00:42:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11566761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toxica939/pseuds/toxica939
Summary: Five times Robert got jealous.





	you look good in green

**adam**

It's Friday night, and Robert had had plans.

They'd involved candlelight and a home cooked meal; Liv banished to Gabby's, a long session of snogging on the sofa until Aaron dragged him upstairs.

He'd had plans for upstairs too, but he's not thinking about that right now.

Because he's in hell. And he doesn't want to sully the thought of Aaron writhing on three of Robert's fingers by associating it with _this_.

This is Aaron and Adam, still exactly where they were when Robert got home from work; parked on the sofa in their disgusting scrapping clothes, getting sweat and grime everywhere.

They've been giggling all evening, playing some racing game that Robert categorically _hates_ the soundtrack to, elbowing each other as they jostle for position.

Aaron keeps holding his empty beer out in Robert's direction as though that's a reasonable way to request another. If Adam tries it, Robert is going to murder them both.

He's been twitching at the kitchen table for what feels like hours, a half finished crossword in front of him.

“Rob, you got any crisps back there?” Adam calls, not even looking up from the screen, and Robert has such a visceral flash back to sitting around watching Lachlan and his three friends to try and impress Chrissie that it actually hurts his brain.

“Haven't you got somewhere else you should be?” he asks. “Like, I don't know, your own house, annoying my sister.”

Adam laughs, distracted, leaning his whole body into Aaron as the cars on screen skid round a corner. “Vic's at work.”

“Perfect. Go there.”

He sees Aaron shake his head. “Ignore him.”

And that's just the problem isn't it? They are ignoring him. He hates it.

It's not that Robert begrudges Aaron having friends, it really isn't, it's just. Sometimes he wants to be alone with his husband, alright? He spends all bloody day with Adam.

Right, this is pathetic. Enough.

Robert gets up, crosses in front of the TV to get his jacket, just to annoy them. And if he stretches a bit more than is strictly necessary while he slides into his jacket, to watch Aaron's attention finally snag somewhere below his belt buckle, well, no one can prove it.

“Where are you going?” Aaron asks, actually pausing the game.

Robert shrugs. “Out.”

“Where?”

“Well, seeing as my plans for tea obviously aren't happening, I'm gonna go and get something at the pub.”

Aaron has the decency to look chagrined. “What plans?”

“It doesn't matter,” Robert says, heading for the door. “Don't wait up.”

It's sulky and childish and he doesn't care at all.

:::

Vic has about as much sympathy as he'd expected so Robert ignores her and nurses a pint in the corner instead. He's not feeling sorry for himself, he's just having a drink. By himself. Miserably. Oh, shut up.

“Waiting for someone?” Bob's hovering by the door through to the toilets, wide grin and a pint in hand.

Robert huffs. “Chance'd be a fine thing.”

Bob's brow creases and he sits down without being invited. Robert likes Bob, well, as much as he likes anyone, so he doesn't say anything about it like.

“He kicked you out?”

“Eh?”

Bob's entire face is sympathetic, Robert has no idea how he's doing it. “Aaron. He kicked you out, has he? Only you've got that same look I do whenever Brenda's got book club and I'm not welcome.”

Robert lets himself smile a little. “I suppose you could say that. But less book club, more...children playing XBOX.”

“Ah,” Bob looks like he knows exactly what Robert's talking about, even though that makes no sense at all. He gestures at Robert's mostly empty glass. “You fancy another?”

:::

Adam's fast asleep on the sofa when Robert gets home. He's dribbling on the cushion he's using as a pillow, dark stain bleeding away from his mouth. Robert doesn't grab the thing up and use it to smother him, he's counting that as a win.

Aaron's sat up against the headboard, sheets pooled at his waist, looking down at his lap.

“I was just about to text you,” he says, waving the phone in his hand at Robert. “You didn't have to storm out earlier.”

Robert hasn't had nearly enough beer to deal with this, so he busies himself with stripping down to his boxers and goes into the en suite to brush his teeth.

“You're being ridiculous,” Aaron calls over the sound of the tap.

Robert ignores him because his mouth is full. Not because he's still sulking.

Aaron's face appears in the mirror over his shoulder, leaning in the doorway and looking about as impressed as he ever does.

“This is about Adam, yeah?” Aaron asks.

Robert makes him wait, swishes and spits, wipes his face dry with a towel. “I'm fine,” Robert says. Because he is, he's being an idiot but he's fine. He doesn't want to argue about how much of an idiot he's being.

Aaron looks sceptical, which is fair, so Robert pauses at door instead of brushing past him, spreads a hand across the bed-warm skin of Aaron's belly and brushes a kiss to the hinge of his jaw. “Seriously, it's fine. I'm being a prat. I wanted to spend some time with you tonight, that's all.”

“You are a prat,” Aaron agrees, but his eyes are fond, fingers soft on Robert's cheek to soften the blow. “We'll do something tomorrow, yeah? Just us?'

Robert nods, lets Aaron pull his head down to kiss. Aaron tastes like the spearmint mouthwash he always uses, enough to make Robert's lips tingle. He slings his arms around Aaron's neck, leaning him back against the door frame to kiss him deeper, keeps kissing him; past breathless,into needy, Aaron's fingers biting into his shoulder blades.

There are parts of Aaron that Adam knows best, but not this bit, not the Aaron Robert gets to keep, the one who'll ride him until his eyes are watering, mouth dry. The one who spoons up behind him when he's poorly. The one who smiles like the sun rising every morning when Robert remembers to put extra milk in his tea.

This one's Aaron's just for Robert.

 

**bar twat**

He's early for once, actually got out of his meeting on time. He's expecting to have to sink a pint or two by himself before Aaron gets here but that's alright, it's not often he has time to sit alone, have a drink and check his phone, people watch.

It's a new bar. Or an old bar that's been done up, Robert thinks they might have been here before. Maybe back when a stolen hour making eyes at each other somewhere no one knew them was the biggest thrill.

He's not expecting Aaron to already be propping up the bar. He's definitely not expecting him to be making eyes at someone else.

Alright, he's probably not actually making eyes at him, but there's some weedy little ginger guy hanging off his every word. He puts his hand on Aaron's shoulder three times just in the couple of minutes Robert stands there for.

His gaze catches on that hand, pale and long-fingers, stroking bath and forth over the jumper Chas bought Robert for his birthday – the one Aaron always steals. Robert knows exactly how warm and firm that bicep feels, he sunk his teeth into that this morning while he came his brains out, Aaron fucking him through it.

None of that seems to be helping. There's something bubbling through him, rising every time the guy flutters his eyelashes in Aaron's direction.

It doesn't matter that Aaron's shrugging away politely. It doesn't matter that Aaron's only here because he's waiting for Robert.

What matters is someone else's hands on Robert's husband.

Aaron glances up as Robert strides over, sidles in between them to put his arm around Aaron's shoulders just so there's no room for confusion about who, exactly, he is.

He can see the look Aaron's giving him out the corner of his eye, ignores it.

The guy doesn't even blink. “Boyfriend?” he asks Aaron, like Robert's not even there. Twat.

Robert smiles, lets his teeth show, enjoys correcting him. “Husband.”

They eye each other for a minute, hackles raising. Rationally, Robert is aware that Aaron is going to kill him for this. It's difficult to care.

Aaron's obviously decided he's had enough, pats a hand against Robert's chest, tucking himself into Robert's side. “Sorry mate, he's a bit possessive. You know how it is.”

Robert's mouth drops open.

The guy nods understandingly. “I get it. Listen, call me if you're ever free, yeah?”

He leaves when Aaron doesn't say anything, both of them staring after him.

Robert closes his mouth. “He gave you his number?”

Aaron pulls away with a shrug. “Course he did, look at me.”

Which is a fair point. But still.

“Did you take it?”

“Why? You jealous?”

Aaron says it like it's the most ridiculous thing in the world, is the thing, like there's no way Robert's blood can possibly be boiling right now.

It's probably that that makes him nod. “Yes.”

That startles a laugh out of Aaron, makes him splutter into his beer. “You're joking aren't you? Robert. We're married.”

Robert shrugs, reaches out to wipes beer foam from Aaron's cheek because he's helpful like that. “I didn't like the way he was touching you.”

Aaron rolls his eyes, turning back to the bar to order Robert a drink. Robert leans beside him, hips pressed together. “You are pretty fit though, aren't you?” he says in an undertone, watches Aaron's cheeks pink up while he pulls a face. “Better stay on my toes.”

Aaron gives him a dark look. “I don't think you've got anything to worry about.”

Robert can see the ginger bloke watching them from across the bar. He's with a group of girls who seem to be doing their best to pretend he's not with them. Hardly a threat.

Still, best to be safe.

 

**chas**

Robert's mum is dead. Obviously. Everyone knows that. At this point, it's just one of those things he's come to accept. Even hating Andy for all these years hasn't done anything to ease the ache. It hurts and it's rubbish and it is what it is. He can't change it.

“What are you doing here?” Chas asks, breezing into the back room of the pub. Robert's slumped into the sofa, half watching the telly.

He glances up. “Aaron's having some pow-wow with Paddy in bar, asked me to make myself scarce.”

“And you just thought you'd make yourself at home?”

“Well I did used to live here.”

Chas huffs. “Don't remind me.”

Robert's about had enough of this, but he doesn't blame her for hating him. He never has really but he definitely gets it this time. “I can go, if you want,” he offers.

She shakes her head, heading into the kitchen to make herself a brew. “Don't be stupid. Cuppa?”

Robert can't think of anything he'd like less than one of Chas' cups of tea.

He nods gratefully. “Please.”

The tea is about a rank as he was expecting when she hands it to him, like it's never even seen a teabag. He sips at it anyway to be polite and doesn't dare say anything when she sits beside him.

“What's Paddy want with Aaron anyway?” she asks him.

Robert shrugs. “No idea. He looked a bit...y'know, shifty.”

“That's just Paddy's face. What did he say?”

“Nothing to me. They're just through there if you want to ask.”

That makes her huff again, sinking back into the cushions. “And get my head bitten off by our Aaron? No ta.”

“Why, what have you done now?” Robert asks. It's probably his favourite thing about Chas, that Aaron spends as much time annoyed with her as he does with Robert.

“You mean this week?”

They both laugh, Chas' smile wavering when she realises who she's talking to. Robert watches the wall go back up.

He remembers that wall. It's the same one his dad only looked over for Andy, in the end. Robert's always been on the wrong side of that wall.

“I really am sorry, you know.”

She shrugs, doesn't look at him. “Doesn't matter. Aaron's happy, that's all I care about.”

“No. I mean. I'm saying sorry to you. I know I didn't just hurt Aaron, I know I messed everything up, nearly for good. And I know I don't deserve Aaron giving me another chance, or Liv. I know that. So I”m not asking you to forgive me, I don't blame you. I'm just saying sorry, so you know that I am.”

Chas looks at him over her mug of tea, assessing. She nods. “Okay. Thank you.”

“Aaron's lucky to have you.”

She scoffs. “I don't know about that.”

But Robert knows. There were times he'd have given anything to have a mum like Chas. To have any mum at all. She's not perfect, no one is. But she loves Aaron like she doesn't know how to do anything else. It's another in a long line of things they'll never admit to having in common.

 

**jackson**

It's stupid to be jealous of Jackson, of course it is. Worse than stupid even, because Robert knows how that all went down, knows what the guy went through as well as anyone who didn't actually live through it ever could. Long nights spent with Aaron curled against his chest, spilling secrets like bile.

It hurts Aaron to talk about it, hurts him to remember the good times too, sometimes.

Robert has wiped away enough tears cried over that man to know that there is nothing about that whole situation he would have wanted to be a part of.

But sometimes, when the ugly, bitter part of himself that he can't always push down rears its head, Robert hates him.

He hates that there's a part of Aaron Jackson still has a hold on, he hates that Jackson got there first.

He definitely hates that there are people who still think Jackson was the love of Aaron's life – like tragedy adds some mysterious magic to what could have been.

Aaron gets a card every year on his birthday from Jackson's mum, passed on by Chas from the pub these days. Aaron knows it's coming, but every year it makes his smile freeze, makes him disappear inside himself for a moment; leaves Robert waiting for him to surface, to come back to him.

Robert hates himself most of all for thinking it, knows it is isn't even true most of the time, but sometimes, when he's feeling weak; he hates that he'll never be able to compete with a ghost.

“You alright?” Aaron asks.

Robert realises he's still sat on the edge of the bed, one sock on. He shakes himself. “Yeah, fine.”

Aaron stops in front of him. “Sure?”

“Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we'd met sooner?”

“Aaron frowns. “How do you mean?”

“When we were younger? Do you think we'd still have gotten together?”

“What when we were both pretending we didn't like fellas?” Aaron laughs. “We'd have been a disaster. I'd have been terrified of you.”

“What?”

Aaron looks away. “I was a mess. I hated who I was, Robert. Wanting you would have seemed like the end of the world.”

He can't help but grin. “You think you'd have wanted me?”

That gets him an eye roll. “What do you think?”

Robert stands up, worms his arms around Aaron's waist to snug them together. “Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like,” he says. “Sometimes I wish I'd been your first.”

Aaron laughs then, clear and bright. “Trust me, you don't,” he rubs his hands up Robert's bare arms, chafes them warm. “I promise you, this is better.”

Robert takes in the smile, the easy way Aaron leans in for a kiss, eyes already closed because he's not afraid, there's no fear here.

Thinks, yeah, it probably is.

 

**dylan**

Robert hates Dylan. Hates him. He's the worst.

Liv slides into the seat beside Robert, follows the line of his gaze to Aaron and Dylan playing darts on the other side of the pub.

“Him again?” she asks, and then, off Robert's look. “Dylan, can't seem to shake him off these days.”

Robert shrugs. The last thing he needs is Liv knowing it's bothering him. “They work together.”

“Barely. Can I have some of your beer?”

Robert slaps her hand away. “No you can't, go and get your own.”

Liv stands up again. “I don't think you've got anything to worry about,” she tells him. “He's not Aaron's type.”

“What does that even mean?”

She shrugs. “He's too...tall. And he's Chrissie's boyfriend.”

“That's exactly Aaron's type,” Robert points out, appalled.

Liv feigns shock, spinning away to lean on the bar. Robert glares after her, because it's a nice break from glaring at Dylan. Dylan. Honestly, who's even called Dylan anyway? Dogs. That's who.

Liv comes back after a while, sucking orange juice through a straw. He listens to her moaning about Gabby and history coursework, grateful for the distraction.

Dylan does fuck off until Chrissie sticks her head round the pub door, beckons him over. Robert absolutely does not clench his fists under the table when the prick gives Aaron a hug goodbye. That would be pathetic.

Aaron comes over once his pal's gone. He looks good tonight, flushed and grinning. He swipes Robert's pint out from under him and forces his way on to the bench seat, jostling Robert along until he fits.

“Everything alright?” Aaron asks.

“Just helping Rob stay calm,” Liv tells him.

“You what?”

“He thinks you've got a thing for Dylan,” Liv says. She's got her straw between her teeth and she's grinning like this is the most fun she's had in ages. It probably is, knowing her.

Robert punches her thigh under the table. “Ignore her. No I don't.”

Aaron's grinning too now. “You sure? He is quite good looking.”

“What? No he's not. You really think that?”

Liv's openly laughing at him now. Robert looks mournfully down at the table, in case that's where he's left his dignity.

He _hates_ Dylan.

:::

Aaron's kind enough to wait until they're in bed, Robert just drifting off to sleep, to bring it up again.

“You don't actually think I'm having it off with Dylan, do you?”

Robert cracks one eye open. Aaron's looking right at him, half smile on his face, so he definitely phrased it like that on purpose.

Robert closes his eye again. “Of course not.”

“Because you're never very nice to him.”

“He's a moron,” Robert says, hunkering down into his pillow. “I don't play nice with morons.”

He hears Aaron sigh. “You do know I'm only messing with you, right?”

Robert shrugs. “Course.”

“Robert,” Aaron slides closer, hand slipping over Robert's rib cage. “Come on.”

 _God_. He's being an absolute idiot. Embarrassing.

Robert leans in for a kiss. “Sorry,” he says. “I definitely don't think you're having it off with him. It's just...”

“What?”

How are Aaron's eyes still so blue in the dark? It's ridiculous.

“I don't like how...friendly he is.”

That gets him a laugh, Aaron's fingers curling against his skin. Aaron shuffles closer, until Robert has no choice but to wrap an arm around him.

“We're mates,” Aaron says. “That it. It'd be like me getting arsey when you go round Bernice's for wine and a manicure or whatever it is you do.”

Robert is not going to dignify that with a response. Except. “Bernice is like my sister. She basically _is_ my sister.”

Aaron knocks their foreheads together, noses brushing. “I'm saying, you haven't got anything to worry about. I love you, no one else.”

Robert knows that. Of course he does. “I love you too,” he says. “Sorry.”

Aaron kisses him, snuggles in close. “Just come out with us next time, he's actually alright.”

Robert highly doubts that. But he's never been able to help himself. “Maybe we could go on a double date with him and Chrissie,” he suggests.

He keeps his eyes closed, so he never knows what the face Aaron pulls looks like.

 

**Author's Note:**

> join me on tumblr, i'm vckaarrob


End file.
